This involves building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation.
Good infrastructure is a key factor in achieving sustainable development. It makes more resources readily available for use, it connects people and grants previously isolated towns, access to basic services, such as health-care, sanitation, electrical power and education. Furthermore, investments in transport, irrigation, and energy and communication technology pave the way for industrialization and technological development.
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Quality infrastructure is also key in the achievement of environmental, political and social objectives and the creation of well-paid, quality jobs (Global Goal 8). Whereas poor or non-existent infrastructure affects productivity, diminishing it by up to 40%.
An example of this, found in this UN article, is the renewable energy industry. Roughly 2.3 million people work in this industry, in countries where data on the matter is available. This number is expected to reach 20 million by 2030 due to a current increase of interest in cleaner electricity sources. Moreover, industrialization in general is a massive job generator. Statistically, one job in manufacturing creates 2.2 jobs in other sectors, and this industry employed an estimate of half a billion people in 2013.
It is safe to say that without good infrastructure there is no progress, as it allows connecting places that were seemingly remote in the past. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development contemplates the building of resilient, quality infrastructure to promote industrialization and innovation in its goal #9
Source: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Photo Credit: GlobalGoals.org
Investment in quality infrastructure can be costly, especially for developing countries that do not have the means to invest in massive engineering projects. International cooperation and support are vital in the technological advancement and industrialization of the aforementioned countries. This is to be done following two guidelines provided by the Agenda.
Incorporating these two guidelines into national strategies and foreign policy would lead to the industrialization of the developing countries in sectors such as the textile and agricultural industries. They would also benefit middle-income countries that have a burgeoning basic and fabricated metals industry. The industrialization of these countries would promote sustainable economic growth and the generation of millions of jobs.